My December
by SasukeChanDotCom
Summary: A what if story... What if Zabuza saved Haku instead? What if Sasuke didn't get back up? Might be HakuNaru, NaruHaku


Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Kishimoto-sama

Quick Summary - One day, two girls had a what if conversation. Another day two girls had a conversation about original couples for Naruto. Then one day, one girl decieded to write about it... This story is right after Haku tells Naruto his sad story and that he wanted Naruto to kill him. Enjoy....

Naruto charged at Haku, kunai angled towards the older boy's heart. Haku smiled bitterly, his usefulness had ended; Zabuza didn't need weak ninjas. He was grateful that Naruto was going to be the one who killed him. He closed his eyes, embracing his inevitable death with open arms. After hearing the kunai cut through flesh he opened his eyes in surprise as he realized it wasn't his own. Zabuza stood in front of Haku nonchalantly and softly smiled. For he knew that Haku's life was more precious than his own.  
  
Naruto let out a cry of horror as he stepped back letting go of the kunai. Blood had squirted all over his face, hands, and torso. Zabuza laughed a bit as he pulled the Kunai out of his chest. Because he was bigger than Haku, Naruto had missed the heart, but unfortunately, pierced the right lung.  
  
"Haku," he said, coughing up a bit of blood, "Don't... don't die yet..." Naruto's eyes widened when he remembered Sasuke had said the same thing. Zabuza coughed up more blood and fell back into Haku, who caught him with a look of utter confusion.  
  
"Haku... you're too young to die now," Zabuza continued, "So young... please live..." The Jounin coughed up even more blood as his eyes drooped slightly. Kakashi came running and stopped to look at the scene before him.  
  
"How did you do it?" He asked Zabuza, "How did you free yourself?" Zabuza gazed up at Kakashi.  
  
"We become strongest when we protect the ones we love," the dying shinobi explained. Haku and Naruto both felt tears in their eyes as they both remembered saying that when they had first met. Haku's tears splashed on Zabuza's bloody face. Zabuza laughed.  
  
"Don't cry... Haku... Please," he asked first chuckling, but then with a sob as tears formed in his own eyes, "Please Haku, don't cry." That only made Haku cry even more because he realized he was losing yet another important person in his life.  
  
Naruto stepped back, tears silently falling down his face. He raised his hands to his head, his eyes wide. What... have I done? He thought.  
  
"I'm sorry Niisan!" Naruto cried quietly, stepping back. He was remorseful. He had obeyed Haku's wishes but Zabuza got in the way. He felt horrible, even thought it wasn't his fault.  
  
Haku didn't respond. He just continued to weep with Zabuza's limp corpse in his arms. He opened his eyes to gaze into Zabuza's lifeless stare. Overwhelmed and stricken with grief, Haku threw himself over Zabuza and cried harder than ever before.  
  
Kakashi turned away from the heartbreaking scene to speak to the mourning blue-eyed kitsune. He spoke out Naruto's name softly and asked a question he feared the answer to.  
  
"Naruto, Where is Sasuke?" With that, Naruto choked on a sob and fell to his knees. He couldn't respond to Kakashi's question, but on the depressing horizon, Kakashi spotted the Uchiha boy's seemingly lifeless body.  
  
Kakashi took a quick glance at Naruto before solemnly walking over to Sasuke. As he walked closer fearing the worst, a horribly gruesome sight met his eyes. The boy had been pierced with many needles in vital places. Blood was strewn across the pavement and amongst his torn clothes.  
  
Kakashi recognized that Sasuke was a hero. He must have died saving Naruto. The silver-haired Jounin contemplated inscribing the Uchiha's name onto the stone monument where his friend's name was as well.  
  
As he bent down to take the senbons out of Sasuke's corpse. He felt responsible, for not protecting his subordinate, when he knew they had gotten into a mission over their heads.  
  
Kakashi was torn from his daze when he heard the voice of a familiar pink- haired girl. She ran shouting out their names and questions such as if everybody was okay. Kakashi swung to face her, ready to watch as she took in the display of the shredded reminisce of her affection. He sauntered towards her and offered her a comforting embrace, but she pushed him away and ran to Sasuke. Sakura held him in her arms and shed tears.  
  
She became conscience that of the fact he was dead and she could never see him act in his stuck up way, saving Naruto when the blonde pulled a stupid stunt, ignoring her when she flirted with him and the way he smiled smugly when he knew he was better than Naruto. She had been tricked before into believing Sasuke was dead but it didn't hurt her the same as it did now. Nothing hurt as bad as she did now.  
  
Tazuna walked over to the heartbroken group of Shinobi. He looked at Sakura crying over Sasuke, Haku sobbing over Zabuza, and Naruto passed out and dirtied with gore in Kakashi's arms. Lowering his head sadly, he shook it.  
  
"This is just too cruel," he whispered. Kakashi walked over to him and sighed.  
  
"It's the life of a Shinobi," the masked man told him. Tazuna wiped away a tear.  
  
"They all must be tired, bring them to my house for rest," the bridge- builder offered. Kakashi nodded and handed him Naruto. Tazuna watched Naruto sadly, then lifted his gaze to watch Kakashi as he aided Sakura, Haku, and the two departed Shinobi.  
  
Naruto's eyes fluttered open, taking in unwanted sunlight. He shook his head hoping to rid the light from his face, but to no avail. The blonde finally sat up rubbing his eyes.  
  
Naruto raised his brows in surprise when he felt his eyes dried with tears. Why had he cried? He asked himself. After looking around the room and noticing the other occupants, he suddenly remembered everything. Sasuke laid next to him- the memory of Sasuke standing above him spilling crimson vital fluids on the cement came to mind. The memory of Sasuke falling back into his arms and wishing him not to die came back.  
  
Naruto noticed Sakura. A memory of the cherry blossom girl sobbing over Sasuke's dead body haunted him. He turned to see Haku laying on his other side. A memory of Zabuza standing in the way- the blood squirting out of his wound and all over Naruto's frightened face resurfaced. The blonde's eyes widened in horror as it all came back to him.  
  
The blue-eyed kitsune spun his head around when he realized he wasn't the only wake person in the room. He looked intently at the Jounin, looking for answers to unspoken questions.  
  
"The town took down Gato," Kakashi told him. Naruto's expression didn't change.  
  
"They're free from that megalomaniac now, they don't have to worry about being poor anymore," He continued. The expression planted on Naruto's face still didn't alter.  
  
"Sasuke," the blonde started, tears forming in his eyes. Kakashi hung his head and finished the kitsune's sentence.  
  
"Is dead."  
  
The funeral was horrible. Everyone in Konoha was there, people who had only heard 'Uchiha' but had never known the one who owned the name.  
  
But Sasuke had been the surviving Uchiha; therefore, when he died it was like the Hokage himself has passed away.  
  
Naruto, Sakura, and Haku sat in the family section. They didn't know why, but then again none of them cared. Naruto sat between Sakura and Haku, just incase Sakura hated Haku for being there and for overall, killing the raven-haired boy.  
  
All three sat with emotionless, hard faces. Their eyes were soulless and empty. The three seemed off in their own world; they didn't even care that Kakashi was late.  
  
"That stupid brat," Naruto heard someone whisper. He looked up at the group of people gossiping. How could they find time to talk about him at Sasuke's funeral?! The furious blonde wondered.  
  
However, instead of reacting in his Naruto-ish way, he lowered his head.  
  
"It's all because they stuck Uchiha with that monster! That's why he died!" complained another. Naruto couldn't cry if he wanted to. He couldn't respond at all.  
  
"What a bad influence, I'm glad they didn't stick my kid with him," said a nameless villager. Everyone nodded that was in the gossip group, and some even added comments of his or her own.  
  
"I can't believe that idiot Iruka put that monster in a group at all."  
  
Now Naruto could take talk about him being a monster and things until they were blue in the face... but nobody should talk ill of Iruka in the presence of the only existing Uzumaki. The blue-eyed kitsune was about to inject, however, when the rest of the rookie nine arrived.  
  
Naruto felt horrified at just the look on Ino's face. Sakura raised her head surprised and embraced her ex-best friend and fellow Sasuke chaser.  
  
The two girls broke into tears, sobbing more than the blonde thought was humanly possible. Both received pathetic, rather sympathetic, looks from some villagers.  
  
Naruto glared at the villagers. How dare they pity us? He thought. He wished they'd all just drop dead!  
  
But of course, just like all the other times he had wished so in the past, it did not happen... Stupid bastards...  
  
Naruto gazed at the rest of the rookie nine. Shino looked the same... expressionless and his hands in his pockets. Kiba was distressed, and Hinata poked her fingers nervously, her face saddened.  
  
Chouji wasn't eating for once... instead he was staring at his feet, looking very interested at the ground. The blonde's stare finally settled on Shikamaru, whom surprisingly was staring directly back.  
  
"Naruto," he whispered, "I'm sorry..." Naruto opened his mouth but no sound came out. He closed it frustrated as Shikamaru continued.  
  
"You're my friend," he told him. The kitsune's eyes widened in surprise. Shikamaru considered him as a friend? Then Naruto realized something. The lazy Shinobi was his only friend.  
  
"I... I was jealous when Uchiha was put on your team," he admitted, "Same with Haruno... I was jealous of both of them and I cursed Uchiha for being so lucky... but now... I'm sorry."  
  
Naruto stared at Shikamaru confused. When he tried to respond, he still couldn't say anything. A Blonde brow cast downward as the stood confused at his inability to talk. Shikamaru looked sheepish.  
  
"So, don't forget I'm still your friend... I'll be here whenever you need me," he finished, giving Naruto a friendly hug. It was the blonde's first hug, and he had to admit, he was quite fond of the action. He felt so much better afterwards.  
  
Unable to speak, the blue-eyed genin in response to his friend nodded and gave him a sad smile, which was returned. The kitsune looked over at Haku, whom had been ignored the whole time.  
  
Haku's face was still emotionless and his mind was somewhere else. For a moment, Naruto could have sworn he saw Haku mutter "Zabuza-san".  
  
What was left of Team seven and Haku stood in front of the Hokage. The Hokage announced Haku would join their group since they needed a three man cell to take the Chuunin exams, and even thought Haku had skill that of a Jounin, he would have to join Konoha as a genin ninja since he wasn't a official ninja.  
  
After that, Sakura was dismissed, leaving Kakashi, Naruto and Haku.  
  
"Naruto," The Hokage asked. Naruto lifted his head to show he was paying attention.  
  
"Haku will be staying with you, do you have any objections?" the blonde couldn't talk, so he looked up at Kakashi for help The Jounin sighed.  
  
"Hokage-sama," he stated, "Naruto cannot talk, but I'm sure he wont mind... right, Naruto?" the mimic ninja said, smiling, even though they really couldn't tell. The blue-eyed Shinobi nodded his head slowly. Sarutobi smiled.  
  
"Okay Naruto, you are dismissed," and with that, Naruto nodded and left.  
  
He was quite surprised when a certain cotton-candy-pink-haired girl was right out side the door. Her face still held no emotions and her voice felt monotone when she spoke.  
  
"Walk with me, Naruto..."  
  
Normal Naruto right now would have jumped up and down with uncontainable joy, but the blonde wasn't normal Naruto as her just nodded and followed her.  
  
They walked in silence for a while, but it wasn't like Naruto could help it. The jade-eyed girl didn't make a sound until they were sure no one could see nor hear them.  
  
"Naruto," she whispered, "I know that you cannot talk right now, so ill do all the talking." Naruto nodded.  
  
"The boy with the mask... Haku-san... he killed Sasuke..." Naruto again nodded, slowly, wondering what she was getting at.  
  
"I hate him," she said, "I hate him..." The blonde looked down sadly at the ground. He figured she would hate him. Soon everyone would hate Haku.  
  
"Sasuke said he didn't have a dream, but an ambition. He claimed his reason for killing was to kill one man... now he can never do that..."  
  
Naruto looked surprised when he saw something wet splash against the ground. He looked up at Sakura's face to see tears streaming down it, but instead of looking sad, her expression was dark and hateful.  
  
"He's the enemy," she reminded him, "Haku-san was and still is the enemy... he might hate you for killing Zabuza." Her eyes narrowed in a way the kitsune had never seen her glare before.  
  
"Be on guard around him," she said as she started to walk away. Naruto stood stunned as his mind digested all that was said. 

The end! Just kidding.... TBC! Like I said in the beginning, It was two girls who had the converstation, one being me, the other being Ninjaofthenight, who wrote Behind Blue eyes (Please check out her story!)... She also helped me out with the beginning, which was written at her house... The rest of this chapter was written at school... 


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